AuthorTopic: Time for Setlist change (Read 12100 times)

Guys I'm new to this forum and I've been in heaven posting all over the place.

With McCartney's upcoming tour I think it's way past time that he changed his setlist, after all he's given the last TWO DECADES to the Beatles heavy one he's been doing and it's time for him to concentrate on the rest of his career. He has so many Wings/solo songs that are just screaming to be performed live, especially many of those fantastic Wings hard rockers!

I'm not asking for some deep buried album track, I'm talking about McCartney picking and performing the best of his Wings and solo material. He has #1 hits that have never been performed live?

Understand I'm not saying he shouldn't perform any Beatles but I think it should be a lot less. The perfect setlist to me would be representative of his entire career. Here's what I think would work for everyone.

McCartney averages about 36 songs per show, so he could do...

12 Beatles12 Wings12 Solo

McCartney can mix them up anyway he wants so the crowd is hit with surprise after surprise! I honestly think no one would be disappointed with such a show, it would satisfy the veteran as well as the newcomer. It would also quiet down those who are starting to say that his setlist is too predictable, that complaint is showing up in more and more places.

BlueMeanie

I think he should do what Dylan does, which is mix up the set list every night. That way it'd be fresh and full of surprises. Sadly, I don't think Paul would do that

The problem with doing that in a large venue is that lighting systems are pre-programmed, so if you change the set you'd have to re-programme everything. It's why when you see someone at a stadium there's not ad-libbing or improvisation. And if you think there is, it's been planned!

Smaller venues don't really have a need for pre-programmed light shows so set lists can be changed at will.

Here's a setlist I think would please the veteran as well as the newcomer. This is the type of setlist that would represent every phase of McCartney's career.

Equal Beatles, Wings, and Solo.

I've Had Enough Getting Closer All My Loving Take It Away The World Tonight One Of These Days Somebody Who Cares That Was Me 1985 Only Love Remains Long And Winding Road Got To Get You Into My Life Silly Love Songs Young Boy Maybe I'm Amazed My Love The Mess Get Back What It Is House Of Wax Listen To What The Man Said Big Barn Bed Can't Buy Me Love Sgt. Pepper Yesterday Let It Be Only Mama Knows Helter Skelter Rockestra Theme No More Lonely Nights Hey Jude I Saw Her Standing There Birthday

Encore Juniors Farm Hi Hi Hi Girlschool

A very exciting hard rocking setlist filled with some of the very best from every phase of McCartney's awesome career!

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BlueMeanie

Maccafan, have you looked up his set lists over the years? It's not far off your original suggestion.

Also, bear in mind that no musician is likely to play much stuff from albums that weren't that popular. 90% of people going to his gigs know The Beatles and early Wings. That's it. That's who he has to please.

The setlist I posted represents my original suggestion, and I agree with you Beatles wise, but when it comes to the rest of his career he hasn't even come close!

People know the singles, people know the videos, people know the DVDs, after all it's people who are into McCartney that buy all this material, and it's those same people that come to his shows!

Also all those Wings fans are still around, they haven't gone anywhere, what about all those who love the rest of his career!

Once again, McCartney has pleased the Beatle freaks with a Beatle heavy setlist for TWO DECADES, I repeat TWO DECADES! Is this man supposed to just play the same basic songs every tour for the rest of his life?

Also the songs on my setlist come from some of McCartneys best albums, chart toppers and grammy nominated!

BlueMeanie

after all it's people who are into McCartney that buy all this material, and it's those same people that come to his shows!

No it's not! Most of the people you see at a McCartney show don't know all his material. They're Beatles and Wings fans. They know the singles, and that's what they want to hear. So that's what he gives them. I'm not saying that that's what I would want, but it's a fact.

Daveram, believe me I understand that McCartney may never really change his setlist, my point is he could and he should!

The people asking for a setlist change is growing more and more, and you are going to hear it even more if he drags out the same basic setlist for his upcoming tour. Here's one of the best views I've read by someone asking why McCartney doesn't change his setlist.

mikeskapla

Do people really think they will chase Paul off stage if he replaced obscure barely known Beatle songs like "I'll Get You" for bonafide blockbuster #1 hits like With a Little Luck, Listen to what the Man Said, etc.

Did I miss something and Paul's solo career was a complete bomb as opposed to him being one of the biggest hitmakers on the planet?

I'll take another crack at this point, everytime I do I get hit so I'll say this in advance:

It's kind of weird I think all those that get offended when people make suggestions or disagree some with Paul's approach to concerts. If people think Paul is doing his tours perfectly, good for them, their opinion is just as valid but not more so than people who would like changes.

And no I don't think its some sort of disloyalty to Paul if you disagree with his set list or that you are a truer fan if you eat up everything he does without question. I seriously doubt if I ran into Paul on the street, and I told him I'd love to hear more Wings stuff in concert -- he's think those damn Wing fan idiots, they aren't my true fans, its those that want to hear Let It Be and Hey Jude -- they are what I call my true blue fans.

Having said all that. I'll run with Paul's articulated thoughts on what he wants to do in a show. He wants to give people the hits. He likes to say when people come to his shows they expect to hear the big songs. He also wants to give a broad perspective of his career and give a few oddies to those hardcore fans like us.

Now I really doubt when people come to a Paul McCartney show they are expecting I"ll Get You, In Spite of All the Danger, Till There Was You, C-Moon, Let Me Roll It.

In terms of hits: With A Little Luck #1 hit never been done in a major tour Ditto Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey#1 hit, never done Listen to What the Man Said -- #1 hit not done since 76 Silly Love Songs -- #1 hit not done since 76

Top 10 hits never done in a major tour: Helen Wheels, No More Lonley Nights, Juniors Farm, Take It Away, Goodnight Tonight

I really can't see people coming to his shows and saying look its a Paul McCartney show I want to hear In Spite of All the Danger and I know that song not that obscure Listen To What the Man Says song.

Or they say thankfully, he does Let Me Roll It on practically every tour becuase fans will be missing out -- who wants to hear any other track off of Band on the Run like 1985 or a hit like Helen Wheels, yuk! It's Let Me Roll It or nothing.

And yeah C-Moon is the quientesential track from his Wings period, everyone knows that one, not Silly Love Songs, or Listen to what the Man Says.

It's that sort of stuff that's puzziling to me. And yeah I know to some its sacriledge to question Paul's set list. For some weird reason we get hit basically for the idea that since we appreciate more of his catalogue then he puts out in concert, it means that we aren't as big a fan. Becauase his big fans should just suck it up and appreciate everything he throws at us.

Look I can just as easy if not easier make the case that we are the bigger fans because we appreciate Paul's whole solo career, not just Paul the Beatle. And yeah I appreciate seeing him in concert. I love Paul's shows and I just think they can be even more special where he can cater to his hard core fans without losing his more causal ones.

I am not talking about him doing Letting Go instead of Let It Be. But why not With A Little Luck (and BIG Wings hits) over obscure Beatle songs like I'll Get You?

Look i am not even asking him to do what MOST major concert acts do like the Stones, Springsteen, and U2 and change things up in the middle of the tour and keep things spicy.

Just do some big Wings hits, mix it up. Band on the Run is a classic album. And there are other tracks on that album for example that stand out, it wasn't just Let Me Roll It.

Ditto for example with Flaming Pie, great album Looks like Calico Skies is going to be coming for a round 2 and maybe the title track Flaming Pie as well. OK, decent songs. But those weren't the singles -- the singles were: World Tonight, Young Boy, Beautiful Night.

If you do Flaming Pie one tour, why not Somedays or Young Boy, etc the next one. If you are going to give the obscure fans a nugget like Let Me Roll It or C-Moon or a track from Flaming Pie. Why repeat the same nugget in the next tour or so, why not give a new one? It seems like he does just that with his Beatle songs but not with his Wings/solo stuff.

That to me is the odd thing about Paul's tours compared to what most artists do. And yeah look i am going to go anyway, great shows, I just think they can be made more special if Paul embraced variety.

Part of (in my opinion) what makes Paul's albums so special is he's eclectic and brings variety -- so it suprises me that on tour he's one of the more predictable artists. Great shows but predictable. And there is a context to my point, I have seen a ton of concerts so am making apples to apples comparisons to other big artists. And the larger point is it would be very easy for him to break the many years of predictability.

I've read many of these type views in different places, and they're showing up more and more, McCartney could and should change his setlist!

Bluemeanie I disagree, maybe some don't know, but most of the people at a McCartney show know his music, especially the #1 smash hits! People know...Silly Love Songs #1,people know Listen To What The Man Said #1,people know Juniors Farm #3Uncle Albert #1Hi Hi Hi - top tenNo More Lonely Nights - top tenRockestra Theme - released on album and DVD

I could go on, but people know this material that's how it reached the positions it reached, because people all over the world liked it, they bought the albums!

As I said, all those fans are still around, they haven't gone anywhere.

Why debate this now? Believe me, theres nobody that wishes he would do more obscure stuff than me, but its not going to happen. He's in his middle 60's now and he isnt going to be touring much more (if any) and he's not going to change it. I read Maccafans setlist idea and I got about as far as the first ten and immediately said to myself that it wasnt going to fly. 80% or more of the people thats going to his shows want to hear his solo hits and Beatle tunes. It sucks, but thats how it is.

And in saying that, I wont go to anymore of his shows because i've seen it all before. If he did play Maccafans setlist, i'd be there with bells on.

Tkitna, McCartney may not do the big world tours, but he has said that he will never stop performing live. So as long as he performs live there's hope!

I agree with you about attending McCartney's shows, I skipped the last tour because it was just more of the very same, like you I've seen the Beatle heavy setlist, in fact I've seen it four times hoping the setlist would change.

If you and I feel this way, imagine how many other people out there feel the exact same.

You said people want to hear his solo hits, well that's the problem, he doesn't perform the vast majority of his Wings and solo hits, and that's why I included most of the well known songs in my setlist. I included many of the singles that he has released over the years like Getting Closer, I've Had Enough, and Take It Away. Because they were singles these songs are known.

They are also some of the best of McCartney's career, people would be thrilled to hear them live.

Also I didn't just start saying this, I've been saying McCartney needs to change his setlist for years!